Gleaming White: Mother Nature's Winter Marvels

                Driving past the park, a few days ago, something stunning caught my eye and made me turn my head. It was my local, neighborhood jackrabbit! In spite of the fact that we haven’t had a real snow, yet, there he sat in his fresh, sparking winter white fur, standing out against the brown hill like a light bulb!

                I’ve seen a couple of times since, sometimes not too far off, sometimes nearly a whole park away. Either way, that sparkling, clean fur makes him stick out and shine, even in the dimming evening light at a considerable distance. Not the greatest arrangement for avoiding coyotes, but, fortunately, there aren’t a lot of those hereabouts. (However, they are nearby, so my rabbit should watch himself!) Meanwhile, it’s something of a beautiful sight for the rest of us.

                But it did cause me to think a bit. How does the rabbit change color every year? At one point I thought maybe the snow triggered it, since the rabbit’s new color seems to appear at the same time that the flakes start tumbling down. But we’ve had no real flakes, yet, beyond some flurries, so that can’t be it. (Actually, I must defer, for a moment, to point out that my neighbor isn’t really a rabbit at all, but a Jackrabbit, which is a member of the hare family.)

                There could be numerous explanations. Could it be the change in diet caused by the disappearing grasses and leaves? The dropping of the temperature? The changes in air pressure?

                Actually, the scientists have gone ahead and done the research for us, and they’ve discovered that it’s as simple as this: the days are shorter.

                It’s true. When we reach this time of the year, the Earth tilts over on her axis, causing large parts of the world to be as far from the sun as they ever are. That’s what gives us the beautiful season of winter. We’re far from the sun’s warmth … and it’s light. This results in fewer sunshiny hours in the day for many of us. (Take note: Way, way, WAY up North, it means no sunshiny hours at all for a few months a year.) Hares have certain biological reactions to the sunlight. When there’s less sunlight, those reactions slow down or stop. They stop producing certain chemicals which provide the color for their fur, and the winter growth comes out white.

                That’s the simplified explanation. If you’d like the more scientific  version, it’s available online.


                But here’s the thing. Did you know that my little friend isn’t the only one to change color come autumn? Actually, each winter, there’s a whole, ghostly white population of wildlife out there. Here they are.

                Ermine: This is a small but long and slim little member of the weasel family. He’s quite cute, actually. But in his winter whites he’s beautiful.
 
                Ptarmigan: This is a sleek bird with an elegant form. In winter his white form looks sort of dove-like.

                Arctic Fox: He has an interesting and attractive little face. In the summer, he really doesn’t look all that different from any other fox. In the winter, however, he proves otherwise.

                Peary Caribou: Yes, there is an entire deer that turns white in winter. He’s a kind of gray color in the warm months. Then in winter, he becomes something to see!


                It’s one of Mother Nature’s most fascinating and beautiful phenomenon, but I think, for all that, my little jackrabbit remains my favorite color-changing critter.

                And speaking of jackrabbits, did you hear about this little fellow?  He managed to bring an entire football game to a screeching halt! Somehow, he got onto a field in a stadium up in Canada in the middle of a big game. He raced, wildly, across the field, now and then catapulting himself wildly into the air, reaching heights of, easily, five times his natural height. He sailed in a wide arch, all four legs flailing wildly until he found earth again. Then he scamper off a few more feet before he’d be airborne again! They had to wait until he found his way out before they could continue.

                Imagine, one little cuddly critter like that was able to hold two teams of giant, muscle-bound men completely at bay!

File:Edmonton Leporidae (winter 6).jpg
Photo by Jeffery J. Nichols

               

               

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